


Behind the Words

by opalmatrix



Category: Cyteen Series - C. J. Cherryh
Genre: Friendship/Love, Other, Teasing, Words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-14
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-12 09:05:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1184412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalmatrix/pseuds/opalmatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, the explanation is not the point.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Behind the Words

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yhlee (etothey)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/etothey/gifts).



> Valentine's Day flash fic/gift fic. Prompt: Cyteen, any combo of Ari II/Florian II/Catlin II, goldfish. No Beta.

  
  
_Happy Valentine's Day!_   


For once, it was an easy evening, all three of them lounging around the living room doing recreational reading instead of studying in their respective offices. Soothing music was playing: it still had no effect on Catlin, but Florian was actually starting to express preferences.

Ari zipped through the definition of the old expression she had just encountered and sighed. Catlin and Florian looked up from their own portables, and Florian got up to peer over her shoulder. "Pretty," he said.

Catlin raised her eyebrows, and Ari tipped the screen so she could see it. "It looks like a koi, but stubbier," Catlin said. "Are you thinking of starting some more fish, sera?"

"No, not really," said Ari. "I was just looking up an old saying: 'Like living in a goldfish bowl.'"

Catlin looked confused. "Did people eat those? Like grass carp?"

Ari stared at her for a moment, sorting out the mistranslation. "Oh. No. The fish were traditionally kept in small, almost-spherical glass tanks, to heighten their decorative appearance. People used to call the tanks 'goldfish bowls.'" 

"So if a person were living in a goldfish bowl, she couldn't do anything without others knowing about it. Like a famous person with bad security," said Florian. "Right, sera?"

"Or like me, when I was younger."

Florian squeezed her shoulder, and Catlin scooted over and took her hand. "You don't have to worry about that anymore," she said. "If anyone tries, they'll be in a glass cage themselves before they can get the word out."

Ari looked at her serious face and then back at the picture of the little orange goldfish in its crystal bowl. She couldn't help it: she startled to laugh. Florian grinned and caught her eye, and then they both grabbed Catlin and tickled her.

"It's — not — funny," gasped Catlin, and they backed off and let her sit up. "People aren't fish! No wonder CITs are such a mess!"

"It's just a saying," said Ari, helplessly, wondering whether she need to explain further. Then Florian nudged her, and she looked at Catlin's face again. Was there just a trace of smugness?

Yes, there was. "All right," she said, ruefully: "You Got me." 

And was rewarded with Catlin's silent genuine laugh.

Photo from Nina Matthews Photography under Creative Commons on Flickr


End file.
